Rebirth of the Phoenix
by bobmanv2.0
Summary: This is the story of a man who lost everything to injury and looks to regain it all. Rated for later chapters
1. Bright Future

John Carson stood in the ring after its set-up on July 23, 2007

John Carson stood in the ring after its set-up on July 23, 2007. He had shoulder length brown hair and stood 6'6". He was 25 years old. It was the night of his Raw debut and he was visibly nervous. Truth be told, this was the first time he stepped in a ring in about a year. He would never forget the two men who helped him to get here.

_(Flashback: July 23 2003) There weren't many standouts in the group of kids who were trying out for OVW. There were a few WWE superstars observing and looking for the next big thing. Ron Simmons, better know as Faarooq, took a particular interest in one student, 21 year old John Carson. Ron watched as Carson executed picture prefect power moves, displayed great technical skill and agility, and even a few high flying moves. Simmons pulled out his cell phone and started recording a video of Carson. "John will want to see this" Simmons thought to himself. After the kids finished, Simmons approached Carson and asked him for his contacts. Carson gave him his hotel room number and cell number. Ron then went to the nearest computer and transferred the video of Carson into the computer. He attached the video to and e-mail, typed "Watch this" into the headline and sent it along to John Layfield. Within a few minutes he got a reply from John. "I like this kid. You wanna train him?" Simmons replied by typing "Hell yeah." and sent the message back._

_Later, Carson had returned to a hotel that he was staying at in Louisville, KY. He hoped to get there and have a message on his cell phone which he had accidentally left in his room. He checked his phone and there were two missed calls, one from his mother from back in Des Moines, Iowa and the other from an unknown cell phone. Carson called the unknown cell phone back.  
"Hello" a familiar voice answered.  
"Ron?" Carson replied, not expecting to hear from Ron so soon.  
"Yeah, it's me. I got something to ask you." Ron said.  
"I'm listening" Carson replied, trying to keep his excitement down.  
"Well, I was talking to my partner, better known as Bradshaw, and we've decided to take you under our wings and train you. Meet us tomorrow at OVW." Ron said.  
"Ok, thanks and believe me you won't regret it." John said before hanging up the phone and doing a victory dance._

He smiled at the memory but then remembered why he hadn't been in a wrestling ring for over a year.

So now we have the back story of John Carson. What kept him out of the wrestling ring for over a year. We'll find out in the next chapter.


	2. The Injury

John Carson walked backstage, seeing as how a stagehand told him the Mr. Vince McMahon was looking for him. He walked into Coachman's office (this was before Regal became G.M.) and saw Vince standing there.  
"Mr. McMahon, you wanted to see me?" John asked.  
"Ah, yes, John Carson. I'm glad to see that you're finally ready to come back." Vince said taking a seat behind Coach's desk.  
"Of course I am sir. It's not like I'm Kurt Angle and I would jump to TNA if things don't go my way." Carson replied as he took a seat on the other side of the desk. Vince had a folder unfolded on the desk. In it were the results of the medical tests that John had taken over the past year.  
"Well John, everything seems to be in order. Your doctors have cleared you to compete tonight, and you'll be facing Santino Marella." John nodded and left the G.M.'s office. John stopped as he walked out and saw him, the WWE champion John Cena. Cena and Carson glared daggers through each other.

"So you came back for more." John said.  
"As long as I know you are here, I will always come back, especially after what you did to me." Carson spat.  
"Good luck with that kid" was the last thing Cena said before he walked away. As John stared at Cena walking away, his memory came back.

_(Flashback: June 12, 2006) It was the Raw after One Night Stand when 23 year old John Carson was to have the biggest match of his career. For on this night, the Main event had been changed from John Cena vs. Edge to RVD vs. Edge in a non-title match, so that John Cena would face John Carson. Cena and Carson had had a series of backstage confrontations since his debut after Wrestlemania 22, where Carson was knocking on Cena's "wrestling ability". Carson had won the Intercontinental title from Shelton Benjamin two weeks before One Night Stand, but lost it right back to Benjamin at One Night Stand, due to interference from John Cena. Carson wanted his payback, but Cena wanted payback on Edge for costing him the title._

_So it was decided that Cena and Edge would face off next week, so Carson could get his payback. It had been planned out, or so Carson thought. Cena would win the match due to outside interference from Edge, then Carson would interfere next week, giving the victory to Edge, then when RVD gave the green light, Edge, Cena, Carson, and Van Dam would have a fatal-4-way match for the WWE title. So, you could guess there was a lot on Carson's mind when he stepped into the ring with Cena. That would in the end cost him what many believed would be his career._

_Carson was perched on the top rope, looking to put Cena away with the Phoenix's flight (Top rope lariat clothesline). Carson came off the top, but Cena caught him with an arm drag. The move in question had pulled a muscle in Carson's arm, but that was just the beginning. For the next three of four minutes, Cena focused on the arm, wrapping it around the ring post, stomping on it and just generally brutalizing it. Cena finally relented, but the damage had been done. The ref called for the match to end and awarded the victory to John Cena, but that didn't appease Cena._

_He wanted to make an example out Carson for anyone who knocked on his "wrestling ability". Cena went and got a chair from ringside. The officials and medics tried to stop Cena, but he would have none of it as he hit Carson's arm about 5 times with the chair. Mickie James, Carson's on screen girlfriend came out and put herself in between Carson and Cena, begging Cena to stop. Cena did, but then Mickie, who was wearing heels, kicked Carson in his bad arm. Cena and Mickie shared a kiss before Cena got down next to Carson. "You see, this is why you'll never be able to beat me. I just out wrestled you, I out smarted you, and I'm just all around better than you." Cena said before spitting in Carson's face._

"Weeks of surgery, months of rehab, I'm not gonna let it all go to waste" Carson said to himself as he walked to the locker room.

Well, now we know why John was out for so long. Can he make a successful return, by defeating a man who held the title he once held. please R&R.

A/N:For those (few) who read this story and are Cena fans, I'm not sorry. I wrote how I feel about John Cean and if you don't like it, tough cookies.


	3. Phoenix's rebirth

"_This is my night" _Carson thought to himself as he changed into his ring attire. His attire consisted of long pants with a phoenix design on both sides, and a black trench coat with flame designs and red, yellow and orange tassels on it that he would wear to the ring. The show was about one fourth of the way through when a stage hand came into his locker room and told him that he was next. "Ok, it's time for the rebirth" Carson said to himself as he walked out of his locker room. In the ring was Santino Marella, who was in the ring talking about Carson.

"I don't see why this John Carson even bothers to come back. There is no way he could defeat the man who defeated Umaga in his debut." This drew a lot of boos from the fans.  
"Marella must have a short term memory; otherwise he would remember that Bobby Lashley helped him win the Intercontinental title." J.R. said as a bird call was heard over the PA system. A wall of flames shot up from the stage. When the main wall died down, _Riot_ by Three Days Grace played as the lights went out and a trap door opened in the middle of the stage, signified only by a red light in the trap door. A platform began to rise from the door, and Carson was on it. When the platform reached the top, Carson threw his arms out and two pillars of fire at either end of the stage came up.

"The following contest is scheduled for one fall. Making his way to the ring, hailing from Des Moines, Iowa, weighing in at 266 lbs, 'The Phoenix' John Carson." Lillian announced. As Carson walked to the ring, more fire shot up from the sides of the walkway. Carson got into the ring and took the microphone from Lillian.

"Marella, I've waited for over a year to get my hands on the man who almost cost me my career. You won't stop me from getting the revenge that I deserve." Marella tried for a right hand, but it was easily blocked by Carson. Carson hit a huge haymaker on Marella, causing Marella to roll out of the ring, after which Carson took his trench coat off, revealing the phoenix tattoo that covered his entire back. Marella taunted the crowd, telling them how smart he was, but he wasn't smart enough to see Carson, who hit Marella with a suicide dive. Carson dropped Marella on the barricade a few times, before throwing him back into the ring.

Carson got back into the ring, but was greeted with an elbow to the back of his head by Marella, who took full advantage of the momentary break in the action. Marella backed up and hit Carson with a dropkick to the face as he was getting up. Marella tried for the first pin of the match, but Carson easily kicked out at 1. Marella then got a look on his face like he had an idea. He rolled Carson onto his stomach and dropped his knees into the elbow joint of Carson.

Carson held his arm in pain and Marella continued the assault on his arm, which ended with a cross arm bar. After about a minute, Marella released the hold and taunted the crowd. "How do you like that? Look at him now! I'm going to finish the job that Cena should have finished a year ago." Carson heard those words and a fire lit inside of him. Marella went to pick Carson up, but Carson elbowed him in the gut.

Carson then hit Marella with a clothesline, then another, then a lariat clothesline. Carson then went to the top rope and waited for Marella to get up. When he did, he was greeted with the Phoenix's flight from Carson. Carson then picked Marella up and locked him in a sleeper hold, which he turned into a belly to back throw. Carson then went to the corner, kneeled down and waited.

Marella recovered and saw Carson kneeling in the corner. Marella decided to charge at Carson, which would prove to be fatal. Carson leaped forward catching Marella with the Phoenix rising (Crouching spear, usually to a charging opponent). Carson picked Marella up and set up for a powerbomb. He kept his grip and hit another, after which he picked Marella up again. This time though he hit a sit-down powerbomb.

"He calls that the Bond of Flames." J.R. commented as he pinned Marella for the three. "Here is your winner, 'The Phoenix' John Carson." Lillian announced. Carson took the microphone away from Lillian.  
"Cena! You can't hide forever. I want you in the ring next week." Carson waited and Cena appeared on the titantron.  
"You think for one second I'm going to get into the ring with a man who I've already beaten. No, you'll have to work your way up and earn a shot at me." Cena said. Carson then ran backstage to find Cena, who found out and ran towards the parking lot. Cena got into his car just as Carson came out. Cena floored it and Carson tried to run after him. Carson stopped after Cena left the parking lot.  
"Sooner or later, you'll get yours, John Cena." Was the last thing he said before heading back into the building.

A/N:There it is, the first match of the Phoenix. Now the question is, where will it go from here? reading is the only way to find out. Please R&R.


End file.
